In the fast-paced world of private equity, staying ahead of market trends and forging valuable connections are crucial for successful dealmaking. As the consumer goods sector continues to evolve, identifying the right opportunities and partners becomes increasingly important. Attending top conferences dedicated to consumer goods can provide invaluable insights, networking opportunities, and a competitive edge. This curated list of the top consumer goods conferences for dealmaking in 2025 is designed to help private equity professionals navigate the landscape and capitalize on emerging trends.
Top Consumer Goods Conferences for Dealmaking in 2025
- PLMA's World of Private Label
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Date: May 20–21, 2025
Description: PLMA’s World of Private Label is the premier global event dedicated to showcasing private label products across food, health, beauty, and household sectors. Held annually in Amsterdam, it features thousands of suppliers from over 120 countries. For private equity investors, this is a key event to discover scalable contract manufacturers, monitor emerging consumer trends, and assess cross-border sourcing capabilities. The conference offers direct access to brands and suppliers ripe for roll-up strategies, operational improvement, or international expansion. With growing retailer appetite for margin-enhancing private labels, PLMA is a fertile ground for identifying acquisition targets and value-creation levers in the CPG space.
- Ambiente Frankfurt
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Date: February 7–11, 2025
Description: Ambiente Frankfurt is one of the world’s leading trade fairs for consumer goods, with a strong focus on dining, living, and gifting sectors. The event attracts global manufacturers, designers, and retailers offering high-end and innovative product lines. For PE firms, Ambiente provides unparalleled insight into shifting consumer preferences, brand positioning, and product innovation across categories like kitchenware, interior décor, and wellness. It serves as an ideal venue for identifying undercapitalized European brands, design-forward suppliers, or ESG-aligned manufacturers with international growth potential. The show’s emphasis on sustainability and digitization also enables investors to evaluate future-proofing strategies in lifestyle retail.
- PLMA's US Private Label Trade Show
Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Date: November 16–18, 2025
Description: PLMA’s US Private Label Trade Show is North America’s largest event focused on store brands and private label suppliers. It draws major retailers, wholesalers, and food service companies seeking new partners across food, non-food, and health sectors. For private equity investors, the show presents opportunities to evaluate scalable U.S.-based manufacturers, understand retail private label dynamics, and explore white-label contract production. The event is particularly valuable for those targeting operational efficiencies and vertical integration strategies. With retailer-driven demand for exclusive and cost-effective products, this trade show is a key entry point for deal origination in the fast-evolving private label ecosystem.
- Canton Fair Phase 2
Location: Guangzhou, China
Date: October 23–27, 2025
Description: The Canton Fair (Phase 2) focuses on consumer goods, home decorations, gifts, and furniture, showcasing thousands of Chinese and global suppliers. As one of the largest trade events in the world, it provides PE firms with critical access to sourcing trends, manufacturing hubs, and supply chain resilience across Asia. Investors can benchmark pricing, identify OEMs ready for automation, or discover suppliers offering unique products with Western market appeal. For those pursuing cross-border trade, nearshoring strategies, or platform consolidation plays, the fair offers unmatched exposure to scalable B2B relationships and emerging export-focused SMEs across a wide range of categories.
- Hong Kong Mega Show Part 1
Location: Hong Kong, China
Date: October 20–23, 2025
Description: Hong Kong Mega Show Part 1 is a prominent sourcing exhibition for gifts, premiums, housewares, toys, and fashion accessories. The show draws global importers and Asian suppliers, acting as a vital bridge between East Asian manufacturing and international retail. For private equity investors, it’s an optimal venue for sourcing high-margin consumer goods, spotting product differentiation trends, and identifying companies with DTC potential. With robust attendance from procurement teams and wholesalers, the event is ideal for mapping supplier ecosystems and assessing consolidation plays or strategic partnerships across export-driven consumer verticals.
- Autumn Fair
Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom
Date: September 7–10, 2025
Description: Autumn Fair is one of the UK’s leading trade events for home, gift, and fashion, attracting independent retailers and major chains alike. The show covers a broad spectrum—from homeware and interior accessories to toys, wellness, and lifestyle goods. For private equity firms, Autumn Fair presents an excellent vantage point to evaluate up-and-coming British and European consumer brands, test demand in the mid-market retail channel, and spot categories showing post-pandemic resilience. The show also facilitates access to wholesale suppliers that could benefit from digital transformation or DTC channel expansion, making it an attractive venue for originations in retail and distribution.
- Nordstil Winter
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Date: January 11–13, 2025
Description: Nordstil Winter in Hamburg is a regional trade fair for Northern Europe, spotlighting interior décor, gifts, accessories, and seasonal products. It emphasizes local and Scandinavian design trends, sustainability, and craft-based innovation. For PE firms, Nordstil offers a unique window into regional premium markets and niche product makers with loyal customer bases. The smaller scale allows for deeper conversations with founders and artisans, potentially surfacing early-stage investment opportunities in lifestyle goods, homeware, or ESG-aligned consumer products. It’s ideal for sourcing differentiated assets primed for internationalization or omnichannel scaling through tech, distribution, or marketing enhancements.
- Nordstil Summer
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Date: July 26–28, 2025
Description: Nordstil Summer complements its winter edition with a focus on seasonal, outdoor, and gift-oriented merchandise. The fair attracts German and Northern European retailers seeking fresh assortments for the second half of the year. For private equity investors, it’s a valuable pulse check on mid-year consumer sentiment and product category shifts. With strong representation from family-run businesses and design-forward manufacturers, Nordstil Summer offers access to firms that may be open to succession planning, growth capital, or digitization partnerships. Investors can identify growth-ready firms operating under the radar but with clear brand equity in regional or boutique retail.
- Private Label Middle East
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Date: September 15–17, 2025
Description: Private Label Middle East is the leading MENA-region event for store brands and contract manufacturing in food, beauty, and home care. Hosted in Dubai, the expo gathers retailers, exporters, and producers looking to develop high-quality private label offerings for regional and international markets. For PE firms, the show is a strategic gateway to evaluating emerging market suppliers, monitoring the evolution of regional consumer demand, and finding manufacturers with ambitions to scale across the Gulf and beyond. As Gulf economies push for retail localization and self-sufficiency, this fair is key for accessing assets that benefit from government incentives and regional tailwinds.
- Tendence
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Date: February 7–11, 2025
Description: Tendence focuses on consumer goods and seasonal décor for the European and international markets, overlapping with Ambiente in timing and location. It specializes in early-order merchandise for the second half of the year, with exhibitors ranging from interior accessories to garden and lifestyle products. For private equity investors, Tendence offers insight into trend cycles and potential investment targets in the giftware and design-forward retail space. Its timing enables pre-season inventory planning, making it a valuable source of data on buyer behavior. PE firms can explore partnerships with small-to-midsize manufacturers that demonstrate strong design language and export capability.
- World Bazaar Festival
Location: Pasay, Philippines
Date: December 2025
Description: The World Bazaar Festival is the Philippines’ largest annual holiday bazaar, featuring thousands of local entrepreneurs, artisans, and social enterprises. While less of a formal trade show and more of a large-scale consumer market, it presents an opportunity for PE firms to explore emerging retail models, consumer engagement strategies, and social enterprise-backed product lines. The event is a fertile ground for discovering grassroots brands with cult followings and DTC potential, particularly in beauty, food, and wellness. For impact-driven investors, the festival offers visibility into ESG-aligned businesses and micro-enterprises that could be scaled through e-commerce or regional expansion.
Beneficial Impact of the Consumer Goods Sector on the Economy
The consumer goods sector plays a pivotal role in the global economy, driving innovation, employment, and economic growth. As a significant contributor to GDP, this sector encompasses a wide range of products that are essential to daily life, from food and beverages to clothing and electronics. The consumer goods industry is a major employer, providing jobs across manufacturing, distribution, marketing, and retail. Additionally, it fosters innovation by continuously adapting to consumer preferences and technological advancements, leading to the development of new products and services. The sector's robust supply chain also supports numerous ancillary industries, further amplifying its economic impact.
Private equity investment in consumer goods can lead to increased efficiency, expansion into new markets, and enhanced product offerings. By injecting capital and expertise, private equity firms help consumer goods companies scale operations, optimize supply chains, and implement strategic growth initiatives. This, in turn, stimulates economic activity and contributes to a more dynamic and resilient economy.
Challenges Faced by the Consumer Goods Sector
Despite its significant contributions, the consumer goods sector faces several challenges that can impact deal-making and investment strategies. One of the primary challenges is the ever-changing consumer preferences and expectations. As consumers become more discerning and demand sustainable, personalized, and high-quality products, companies must continuously innovate to remain competitive. This requires substantial investment in research and development, as well as agile marketing strategies.
Another challenge is the increasing complexity of global supply chains. Geopolitical tensions, trade regulations, and disruptions such as pandemics can create uncertainties and affect the availability and cost of raw materials. Companies must navigate these complexities while maintaining efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Moreover, the rise of e-commerce and digital transformation has reshaped the retail landscape, compelling traditional consumer goods companies to adapt or risk obsolescence. This shift requires significant investment in technology and digital capabilities to enhance customer experience and streamline operations.
Conclusion
The consumer goods sector is a dynamic and integral part of the global economy, offering numerous opportunities for private equity firms to drive growth and innovation. By attending top conferences dedicated to consumer goods deal-making, industry professionals can gain critical insights, forge strategic partnerships, and stay ahead of market trends. While the sector faces challenges such as shifting consumer preferences, complex supply chains, and digital transformation, these also present opportunities for savvy investors to capitalize on emerging trends and create value. As we look toward 2025, staying informed and connected through these conferences will be key to navigating the evolving landscape and achieving success in the consumer goods sector.
